MenoSundays; Life Lived Lovingly

I actually received this pupdate a couple of weeks back - just a wee tad forgetful on my part! For those new around here, I sponsor pups in their first two years of learning social skills as well as advanced training in becoming Guide Dogs for the Blind (or therapy dogs, if they don't quite make the grade!). You can read about them on the labels; Isaac, Irvine, IIFletcher, IISpirit and now IISprout.

Pupdate 4 - Sprout has arrived at Training School! 

Hi! It’s Natalie here, one of Sprout’s trainers. Sue and I have been working to progress Sprout’s training now that he has arrived at training school.  

Settling into the training school

Sprout has settled in well to training school. He’s a boisterous fellow and was quite a handful at first but he’s come a long way already. He spends his evenings and weekends with his foster family, including their 6-year-old twins, who are absolutely besotted with him. His time is spent free running in the woods and he loves a good sniff around in the undergrowth.

I love Sprout’s personality; he’s a real character and never fails to make me laugh. He’s so much fun to work with. In another life, he would have made a great comedian! He just exudes happiness and confidence; nothing fazes him at all. 

A clever dog! 

Sprout is very intelligent and he picks up new skills quickly. He’s already comfortable wearing his harness and has no problems putting it on. He has been on the obstacle course and did really well – it’s important for guide dogs to be able to confidently navigate their owner around hazards. Sprout is very good at staying focused and is not easily distracted when working. This definitely makes training a lot easier. There are so many potential distractions when we’re out on training walks but he doesn’t bat an eye. He’s already confident at finding lowered kerbs and stopping to allow for safe road crossing. 

Looking forward 

Sprout is such a lovable boy, although he does have his quirks! He’s not a fan of having his ears checked so Sue and I will be continuing to work on this with him. It’s crucial for him to become comfortable with this as it is important for his welfare, so I have been teaching him ‘chin rest’. This involves asking Sprout to rest his chin in my lap and rewarding him when he does. We’re gradually increasing the length of time he does this and will then start to introduce touching his ears. The main thing is that we ensure the experience is positive for him as well as letting him choose when he wants to move away.

Over the next few months, Sue and I will be continuing to teach Sprout all the guiding skills that he will need. We’ll be focusing on increasing consistency as he can sometimes be a little bit overconfident, and he has previously shown stopping behaviour on walks which does seem to be improving. We’ve also been working on getting in and out of the car – he knows exactly what to do but sometimes needs a little encouragement as he likes things to be on his terms!

We’re happy with Sprout’s progress so far and look forward to updating you in your next Pupdate.